At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother’s death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life. With no experience or training, driven only by blind will, she would hike more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State—and she would do it alone. Told with suspense and style, sparkling with warmth and humor, Wild powerfully captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her.

Oprah's Book Club 2.0 selection: This special eBook edition of Cheryl Strayed’s national best seller, Wild, features exclusive content, including Oprah’s personal notes highlighted within the text, and a reading group guide.

One of the Best Books of the Year: NPR, The Boston Globe, Entertainment Weekly,Vogue, St. Louis Dispatch

The following ISBNs are associated with this title:

“Original voices knock you out. And, that is exactly how I felt reading Cheryl Strayed’s new memoir Wild. At its core, the story of a deep and reverential love between mother and daughter, Wild is a searingly honest account of what it means to lose someone and yourself and then make yourself whole again. Strayed loses her mother to a totally unexpected illness. Shocked and devastated by the loss, her life spirals downward as she seeks out increasingly dangerous pursuits to dull her pain. Sensing her own collapse, and the imperative to change course, Strayed sets out on what can only be described as an awe inspiring journey. Over the course of three gruelling months, she hikes The Pacific Crest Trail with nothing but a backpack and her sheer determination to put one foot in front of the other. She faces down pain, hunger, thirst, injury, black bears and rattlesnakes – but she also discovers new levels of joy, accomplishment, courage and extraordinary friendship. Throughout, Strayed moves us seamlessly between present and past – giving us not only never to be forgotten images of her trek but also a moving account of her relationship with her quite remarkable mother. This book, which in fact brims with optimism, is a tour de force … the Mother’s Day book of this year.” “I cannot recall a book that has so genuinely brought me to tears in the early chapters and yet by book’s end, left me both amazed and comforted by one person’s ability to ‘come out the other end’ of what nature and life serves up. I loved it.” – An Indigo Mom

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Reviews

Rated 3 out of
5 by
suekitty13 from
Surprisingly boringI love hiking, camping and backpacking and have been to many of the places on the PCT that Cheryl hikes through so I thought I would be totally engaged in her story. Instead I was bored and disinterested. Part of the problem is that although I could sympathize with her, I didn't really like her. She was so self-absorbed and made terrible decisions. It wasn't clear to me at the end if the experience had changed her for the better. The narrator for this audiobook was really good but because I was listening and not reading it was easy for my attention to wander. If the story had been a little more interesting this wouldn't have been a problem but because I was often bored silly I would zone out a lot. I couldn't wait for it to be over!

Date published: 2015-02-08

Rated 4 out of
5 by
Klaatu from
Open MindI've recently heard more buzz about 'Wild,' probably because of Reese and upcoming movie. In prep for reading the book I read the reviews. I know it's a little unexpected, but the negative reviews make want me to read it more. Pretty judgmental for a young woman who wanted to try to clear her mind in a more positive way than other more destructive ways available to her. From what I've read, probably ill conceived and not well thought out as far as what she should expect...but she did it. And if I think of how I might (and sometimes did) have handled things at her age compared to the more "seasoned" me now, I shudder. So good for her.

Date published: 2014-12-15

Rated 3 out of
5 by
Crista from
Hapless (hitch) hikerMeh. This book got a lot of hype from Oprah, and since it was getting Oscar buzz for Reese Witherspoon's movie adaptation, it was either read it now, or likely not ever after I see the movie. I was underwhelmed. Hopefully Hollywood will work some magic to make seeing the film worthwhile.
Cheryl was entirely ill-prepared for her life, nevermind her hike across the PCT. Who plans to hike for several months and doesn't even try to learn to use her water purifier before the journey? or check the weather? Frankly, Cheryl got lucky that so many friendly people helped her along the way, and none of them were serial killers. I found that she "by-passed" or hitch-hiked as much as she did trek, and I was more annoyed by her lack of preparedness than I was impressed by her moxie.

Date published: 2014-12-02

Rated 3 out of
5 by
Amanda_Sealey from
Good ReadI can't disagree with some of the other reviewers that the author seemed unbelievably ill-prepared and seemed to make some incredibly cringe-worthy choices. I felt so sad for her as I was reading the book, for both herself and her husband, and I would hope to never be where either of them ended up. But, I also though she told her story very honestly and unapologetically (at least to us the readers), and my admiration grew for her as the story unfolded. You can call it stupidity or courage, strength of will or bullheaded determination, but she did it and kudos to her.

Date published: 2014-08-15

Rated 4 out of
5 by
emilyalyssa from
Thoroughly Enjoyed This BookWhen I first saw Wild out on book shelves, I was less than interested in it. I read a few reviews and after a few months of thinking about it, I finally purchased it. I'm really happy that I finally decided to get it as I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the book. I read it in a very short amount of time and it has inspired me to one day possibly hike the PCT trail. It's an inspiring story to me since taking a trip like Cheryl did is risky - especially being as inexperienced as she was - but something a lot of people want/need to do but are afraid. I was shocked to find out that she made it the whole way she had planned with little to no injuries especially since the summer before I read this book, one of my friends did this very same hike but right from Mexico to Canada (we live in Canada..he hiked all the way home) who is an experienced hiker/adventurist and was hospitalized halfway through and almost had to call it quits. All in all, this book is a really amazing story, it definitely may not be the most exciting read (which is why I only gave it 4 stars), but something I think most people should read.

Date published: 2014-07-03

Rated 5 out of
5 by
krazykat957 from
Wild: From Lost To Found On The Pacific Crest TrailI wanted to buy this book when I first saw it in 2012. I finally purchased it boxing day sale 2013. This was a fascinating read about a person who needed to find their place in life. I was drawn to the book once I had read what it was about. It sounded very much like what I am going through, with losing my brother, aunt, dad,and then mom within a few years. Cheryl was able to discover her strength and regain her confidence.

Date published: 2014-01-27

Rated 1 out of
5 by
Aidia from
300 + pages that I can never get back....Brutal. I found Ms Strayeds story to be gratuitous, irrelevant and just plain boring. The story was flat, and did not give me much to hang on to or relate to. Her attempts to compare an experience on the trail to a metaphor for life was a complete stretch ; aka " cheesy" .
These are the types of stories you want to walk away feeling like you have learned something based on their experience or feel inspired - WILD does not offer any of the above. There are better books out there waiting to be read..... find that one. Don't waste your time on this.

Date published: 2013-11-11

Rated 1 out of
5 by
ChrisM from
wasn't wild about itI am of the opinion that everyone has a story to tell – that doesn’t mean everyone should tell it, though. Cheryl Strayed’s memoir should have made for a compelling read, but ended up winning “Book I Enjoyed Reading the Least” at our final book club meeting. (Although in my mind, it was neck and neck with Death Comes to Pemberley for the position.) When I teach memoir to students in my writing class, we talk a lot about the ‘why’? Why is this the story you are telling? What have you taken away from this experience? If you want to take a reader on the journey through your life, there has to be a pretty compelling reason. Some memoirs are more successful than others. In order for a memoir to work – for me at least – it has to combine three elements: story, character and writing. So, for example, Elizabeth Gilbert’s best selling memoir Eat, Pray, Love both worked and didn’t work for me. The writing was terrific; I loved the idea of her journey, but I didn’t like her very much. Let’s compare Eat, Pray, Love to another best-selling memoir, Julie & Julia. I loved the story, the writing and Julie herself. Then there’s Wild. At twenty-six Cheryl Strayed is still mourning the death of her mother, who died when she was 22, the dissolution of her marriage, which ended soon after, and recovering from her addiction to a guy named Joe and their shared heroin habit. Good times. Impulsively, she decides to hike the Pacific Coast Trail. That’s 4268 km of therapy. With very little preparation (or at least it seemed that way to me – she bought a book and some ill-fitting hiking books and suddenly she was walking), Strayed embarks on a journey which she hopes will clear her head or mend her broken heart. When the book opens, Cheryl has lost a boot over the edge of a mountain: "My boot was gone. Actually gone. I clutched its mate to my chest like a baby, though of course it was futile. What is one boot without the other boot. It is nothing. It is useless, an orphan forevermore, and I could take no mercy on it. It was a big lug of a thing, of genuine heft, a brown leather Raichle boot with a red lace and metal fasts. I lifted it high and threw it with all my might and watched it fall into the lush trees and out of my life. … I looked south, to where I’d been, to the wild land that had schooled and scorched me, and considered my options. There was only one, I knew. There was always only one. To keep walking." I felt like Strayed’s journey had all sorts of potential. I mean, her life was a total mess and here was her opportunity to work out her issues and reset her course. But the more I read the less I cared. I can’t quite say what it was about her, but others in book club had the same sort of feeling: we just didn’t like Strayed. Wild felt like a missed opportunity to me. Regardless of whether your relationship is awesome or toxic, the death of a parent is a game-changer. Strayed’s brother and sister and her beloved step-father, Eddie, sort of scatter to the wind and it made me wonder why. When my parents died – first my mom and then a couple years later, my dad – my three younger brothers and I circled the wagons and became even closer. We understood that it was just us now and ‘us’ was important. Strayed’s brother doesn’t even visit his mother when she is dying in the hospital. So, is Strayed ‘cured’ after her long walk. I doubt it. While on the surace it would seem that her journey to the Bridge of the Gods (and oh, those heavy-handed metaphors!) delivers her back to herself, I’m not sold.

Date published: 2013-10-28

Rated 2 out of
5 by
FranklyReading from
Not worth the rave reviewsAfter reading all the hype about this book, I thought I'd give it a shot. I just finished it and that was only because I made myself. I didn't really care if she finished her journey as the book lacked some depth. I was much more interested in the details of her hike than any internal growth that may have occurred because there wasn't much evidence of that in the book. It's impressive she finished the hike (physically), but I didn't really see anything else redeeming in the story.

Date published: 2013-08-20

Rated 4 out of
5 by
Lyle_Appleyard from
A walk of a LifetimeI read this book for a book club I hope to attend in a few weeks. I was fortunate that it was available at the e-library. In reviewing this book, I have to look at the content and writing style. The author has a story to tell. She accomplished a great feat. Hiking the the Pacific coast trail is a challenge for even the most experienced hiker. In the book, the author tells of may hikers who had to give up. She was a rookie at long distance hiking. This is what can drive some readers crazy and others amuse. She decided to do it on whim. As she starts out, you want scream "What are you doing girl?" You have to shake your head at what she is trying to do. You have to admire her luck. As one of the other hikers said, peoplde did things for her that other people wouldn't do for them. She needed luck and guardian angels. I was alway thinking that she was grazy and flakey for doing this just because her mother died. As I often say, everyone has a story to tell. Some people don't want to tell it, for whatever reasons. Some people can't tell a story. And then there those who can tell a story. They can entertain us a story, no matter what it is. The author of this book did a great job of telling us how she she came to be on the trail, what she did to prepare for the hike. She talks about the hike in enough detail to keep us interested and understanding of challenges that she face. She shares with us the mistakes she made and personal weaknesses. She did a good job of bringing her character out in the book. She does use the This book was a selection for a book club meeting I want to attend. This club is all women. I was the first man to attend in quite awhile. I beleive that this book will appeal more to women than to men. It is a great story, but the story of her coming to grips with her feeling swill appeal more to women. The hiking story may appeal to men

Date published: 2013-08-10

Rated 3 out of
5 by
Dana from
WildCheryl Strayed is a self-absorbed, ill-prepared ditz. She decides after losing her mother to cancer she needs to 'find' herself by hiking the Pacific Rim Trail from California to Oregon. SOOOOO, she leaves and divorces the husband she loves and who dearly loves her. She sleeps with a heroin addict and then tries heroin to keep her current love interest happy. She buys a pack she can't even carry and causes big-time chafing without trying it out or even thinking it through. She hikes in shoes that mangle her feet causing her toenails to fall off and probably irreparable damage to her feet. Having gone through all that she decides to hike the trail alone, some times without enough water. What was she thinking? I did enjoy the tales of the trail but did not at all understand why any person would put themselves in that position. There are a lot better and easy ways to kill yourself. The redeeming feature of this book is that it is not badly written.

Date published: 2013-08-06

Rated out of
5 by
Anonymous from
A page turner!!! Cannot believe that as inexperienced as she was, she made it through safe and secure. There were a few instances when she met total strangers that I had some trepidation about her safety. Her courage throughout her ordeal is enough to inspire everyone although I would not recommend her physical and spiritual journey to the faint of heart. Great read!

Date published: 2013-05-23

Rated 5 out of
5 by
David_Cavaco from
A Memorable Wild Journey!At first I was skeptical of this book, thinking it was nothing but Oprah approved chick adventure tale. Well, I was wrong! This is a fascinating bio of a young woman seeking spiritual and moral rejuvenation by walking solo 1,100 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail. She endures thirst, famine, toenail loss, fear of rape, wildlife and everything else a human being can endure. Cheryl Strayed's trek shows that people are much stronger and strong willed than we give ourselves credit for. Highly recommended!

Date published: 2013-05-13

Rated out of
5 by
Anonymous from
Love, love, LOVED this book and journey of Ms. Strayed's journey along the Pacific Coast Trail. Having lost my own mother at a like age and under similar circumstances, I can attest that this is an impressively honest account of the journey of losing yourself and rediscovery. The adventures/misadventures that Ms. Strayed experiences had me laughing out loud and crouched with concern. It was like I was travelling the Trail with her - fully immersed in her journey. Highly recommend this book!

Date published: 2013-04-11

Rated out of
5 by
Anonymous from
A funny book and I don't mean comical , a lost soul, a person who has to deal with a lot of emotional tragedies in which are both self inflicted and laid upon her. An unbelievable hike in which she is not prepared for and yet I was always asking myself '' why doesn't she unload some of her backpack ''... why all the physical suffering. I'm presently preparing to thruhike the Appalachian Trail in 2014 and I'm doing it for the hundred reasons also, some of which are the same as Cheryl's but I also know that it's a learning experience on life and wisdom and that I'll get blisters and so on, but a backpack nearly my weight ???? Never in the least, it still was a good read from start to finish with stories and feelings that are both close to home and some that I wouldn't wish on anyone. We may question the reasons and or her techniques but we still have to give her a score of a+ for courage, determination .... Cheryl, what's important is that you hiked your hike... and nobody could take that away from you..

Date published: 2012-10-23

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Lisa_Filice from
Not what I expected - best book club selection this yearWhen I found out my book club selected a non-fiction book for October's book, I was not going to read it. I am not a big fan of non-fiction and I did not want to shell out for a hardcover book to boot. When someone described it to me as a woman's journey to find herself, it sounded even less appealling. However, I relented and read the book from cover to cover in one weekend. It was a wonderful read and the best selection this year so far. Warning: it will make you want to go camping. Cheryl has a very concise writing style and kept the pages turning with her adventures on the trail. I will look for other works from this author as I enjoyed her writing style immensely.

Date published: 2012-10-08

Rated 4 out of
5 by
Kelly_Rogers from
You are as elated as she is when she completes this quest!You walk every step with her, you carry the weight of the pack, you struggle to continue the challenges of the trail with her. But then you share in each and every accomplishment, each and every goal reached. Building on her new found strengths to succeed in this amazingly wonderous epic quest. Well done!

Date published: 2012-10-03

Rated 4 out of
5 by
Lisa_Newman from
WildI thought this was a great read about self discovery. Cheryl demonstrates how a big change and change your life and that you don't need a lot of money or the strength of many others to do it yourself. The book was well written in the fact that the landscapes and situations are often repetitive, yet when reading it hardly ever feels that way. Not what I normally read but I was very impressed!

Date published: 2012-08-21

Rated 1 out of
5 by
Arlene_Somerton_Smith from
WildMaybe it was a case of bad timing. I read this book right after I finished Me to We by Craig and Marc Kielburger. Strayed's misguided self-focused misadventures seemed shallow and ridiculous compared to the outward-looking world vision of the Kielburger brothers. Maybe it's that Strayed is no Bill Bryson. I enjoyed Bryson's telling of his own misguided self-focused misadventures on the Appalachian Trail in A Walk in the Woods. But Bryson doesn't take himself so damned seriously and he's an entertaining humorist. Whatever the reason, Cheryl Strayed's memoir of her mountain hike irritated me. For someone who spent months preparing for her hike, she hit the Pacific Coast Trail shockingly unprepared. Here's a tip for any potential mountain trail hikers: it's hard. It's an uncomfortable, smelly, dangerous, potentially life-threatening, foot-blistering experience. Don't be surprised by this. Let me wrap up the plot of this book for you: Woman gets married at 19. Woman's mother dies a few years later. She ruins her marriage and becomes a drug addict. In her drug-haze of divorce pain, she decides that hiking the Pacific Coast Trail would be a good idea. But you know, the Pacific Coast Trail is really hard. Blisters, a heavy pack, snow, extreme heat, blisters, leering men, friendships, sex against a rock, Hawaiian screwdrivers, blisters, stunning vistas, bears, rattlesnakes, a fox, a lucky feather, blisters, the same food over and over and over, scenic lakes, up-up-up, down-down-down, the end. Strayed (She chose this last name for herself out of a dictionary. Does that tell you something?) makes a point of making the hike alone: a woman against the mountains. In normal circumstances I applaud a woman making a case for the empowerment of women, but Strayed doesn't succeed there either. She earns the nickname "Hapless Hiker." Men along the way cast sidelong glances at her poorly planned, ill-equipped approach to the trail. I'm not sure that helps our cause. By the end of the trail, her nickname is "The Queen of the PCT" because people along the way grant her special privileges because she's a woman. Sigh. The sticker on the front of my hardcover copy tells me that this book is part of Oprah's Book Club 2.0. I shouldn't be surprised given Oprah's fondness for the "downtrodden woman triumphs over adversity" theme, but in this case it's more a case of "hapless woman somehow miraculously survives her own colossally stupid decisions unscathed." I didn't leave this book feeling inspired or empowered. I didn't laugh. I didn't cry. I shook my head often. I clucked my teeth now and then. I said "Oh, for the love of God" out loud more than once. I can't recommend this book. If you want an entertaining book about a mountain trail walk, I recommend A Walk in the Woods.

Date published: 2012-08-15

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Adina_Busner from
Amazing, intriguing, keeps you readingI think Cheryl is and extraordinary women, and encourages us all to follow our dreams and find our inner self. Absolutely loved the book and could not put it down,

Date published: 2012-08-10

Rated 4 out of
5 by
Lindsay from
Journey vs. CharacterI found Cheryl Strayed's writing to be beautiful and almost poetic in its simplicity and I really enjoyed the journey she took, however, I found Cheryl to be a somewhat unlikeable and unsympathetic character with her nonchalance to some life events mind boggling.

Date published: 2012-08-10

Rated 5 out of
5 by
linda_roote from
wonderfulYou might think that reading about a long hike would be boring but this book is terrific.

Date published: 2012-08-03

Rated 4 out of
5 by
Linda_Wild_/_Fred_Bergen from
Authentic & inspiringUltimately this is an inspiring read - towards the end of it I was ready to drag my backpack out of the garage and head up to Killarney, I really was. I still might. Even though her adventure was born of heartache, this book captures that feeling of novelty mixed with challenge that has always been the hallmark of adventure for me. Artful are her descriptions of the landscape she journeys through. I say artful because I was transported into what felt like an authentic vision of where she was as if I were looking at a picture of it. Further, her description of the covert threat she felt from a couple of the men she met on the trail also felt accurate. Her written voice is different from anything I've experienced. I feel the same way reading great literature.

Date published: 2012-07-19

Rated 4 out of
5 by
Ina_Bentley from
Good storyAlthough the writer was so poorly prepared for the trip she took, it is amazing that she finished to write this story. Thoroughly enjoyed the book. Strong, determined and gutsy woman.

Date published: 2012-07-02

Rated out of
5 by
Anonymous from
Nice story. I wish I had the courage to take myself off and rediscover myself. Truly enjoyed sharing the adventure.

Date published: 2012-07-02

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Heather_Reisman from
Absolutely great read!“Original voices knock you out. And, that is exactly how I felt reading Cheryl Strayed’s new memoir Wild. At its core, the story of a deep and reverential love between mother and daughter, Wild is a searingly honest account of what it means to lose someone and yourself and then make yourself whole again. Strayed loses her mother to a totally unexpected illness. Shocked and devastated by the loss, her life spirals downward as she seeks out increasingly dangerous pursuits to dull her pain. Sensing her own collapse, and the imperative to change course, Strayed sets out on what can only be described as an awe inspiring journey. Over the course of three gruelling months, she hikes The Pacific Crest Trail with nothing but a backpack and her sheer determination to put one foot in front of the other. She faces down pain, hunger, thirst, injury, black bears and rattlesnakes – but she also discovers new levels of joy, accomplishment, courage and extraordinary friendship. Throughout, Strayed moves us seamlessly between present and past – giving us not only never to be forgotten images of her trek but also a moving account of her relationship with her quite remarkable mother. This book, which in fact brims with optimism, is a tour de force … the Mother’s Day book of this year.” “I cannot recall a book that has so genuinely brought me to tears in the early chapters and yet by book’s end, left me both amazed and comforted by one person’s ability to ‘come out the other end’ of what nature and life serves up. I loved it.” – An Indigo Mom

Date published: 2012-05-16

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Christine_L from
Cheering for Cheryl all the way!I couldn’t describe it better than the book description, so … “A powerful, blazingly honest memoir: the story of an eleven-hundred-mile solo hike that broke down a young woman reeling from catastrophe—and built her back up again. At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother's death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life: to hike the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State—and to do it alone. She had no experience as a long-distance hiker, and the trail was little more than “an idea, vague and outlandish and full of promise.” But it was a promise of piecing back together a life that had come undone. Strayed faces down rattlesnakes and black bears, intense heat and record snowfalls, and both the beauty and loneliness of the trail. Told with great suspense and style, sparkling with warmth and humor, Wild vividly captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her.” I loved this book! By the end I was cheering for Cheryl to finish

Date published: 2012-05-11

– More About This Product –

Wild (Oprah's Book Club 2.0 Digital Edition): From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

The following ISBNs are associated with this title:

ISBN - 10: 0307962814

ISBN - 13: 9780307962812

From the Publisher

#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER

SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE

At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother’s death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life. With no experience or training, driven only by blind will, she would hike more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State—and she would do it alone. Told with suspense and style, sparkling with warmth and humor, Wild powerfully captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her.

Oprah's Book Club 2.0 selection: This special eBook edition of Cheryl Strayed’s national best seller, Wild, features exclusive content, including Oprah’s personal notes highlighted within the text, and a reading group guide.

One of the Best Books of the Year: NPR, The Boston Globe, Entertainment Weekly,Vogue, St. Louis Dispatch